Saturday, June 30, 2012

Happy Fourth of July!!! I know we're not there yet, but I thought I'd post a couple of recipes that I've done just recently I thought everyone would enjoy. And they're totally non-fussing recipes. And since it's hotter than HADES, these are cool recipes that won't heat up your house.

I love to marinate everything so I use pineapple juice to marinate meat a lot and to cook with. I keep the little 6 oz can's on hand.

I love to fancy up food and make it look pretty and kebabs are pretty to look at.

I cut either pork or chicken in 1 inch cubes and let it sit in the marinade over night.
Save it you're going to need it.

Now using wooden skewers or metal ones, it's up to you. Put the cubed meat onto the skewers and rest them back into the marinade. If you leave tiny spaces between the cubes the meat cooks more quickly.

I like to use fresh yellow and zucchini squash, onions, green peppers, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes and any other vegetable you can think of you can put on a stick. You can even put asparagus in a tin foil package to put on the grill as well and use the same marinade. I do rest my vegetable kebabs on aluminum foil because sometimes as the veggies get done they become so tender they'll fall off the skewer. Now I brush olive oil very sparingly over my veggie kebabs with a pastry brush then drizzle the marinade I saved over them as well. I'm very generous with it because I love the sweetness of the taste blending with the veggies.

Pop your meat kebabs on first and let them cook about 5 minutes. Using the marinade they've rested in brush plenty of marinade over the meat. Then pop your vegetable kebabs on for the next 10 minutes until your meat is well done and the vegetables are tender. I keep brushing the marinade on every three minutes until they're done. If you feel your meat needs a few more minutes take the veggies off and leave the meat on a few more minutes.

Take them off the grill put them on a platter and serve.

You can fix rice to go with your kebabs but my family seems thrilled with just the vegetables and some cheese and fruit for the entire meal.

Home made Bruschetta

I love Bruschetta because it is cool and fresh in the heat. I fix it a lot for lunch because I don't like to eat anything real heavy during the day. This recipe is good for several days lunches or you can invite your friends and serve it.

You will need french or Italian bread. I LOVE SWEET ITALIAN bread so that's what I usually get but the long skinny french bread actually works better for Bruschetta because it's already crunchy. Pick out what you like.

6-8 Roma tomatoes. (They don't have a lot of seeds in them and juice so they're perfect for this.)

8-10 Basile leaves chopped up fine ( today you can buy basile in a tube if you can't find it fresh in the produce department. I prefer the fresh basile because it gives the dish color and texture.

I tablespoon olive oil.

1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
2 cloves of garlic minced ( this too can be purchased in the produce section in a tube already minced and all you have to do is squeeze it out like toothpaste. It's just fine for my purposes purchased like that. But since we grow our own garlic I very rarely have to buy garlic at the store. If you want to attempt growing your own, be sure to place it in an area you don't mind it spreading in because otherwise you will find your flower beds and yard taken over.)

Garlic Salt
Parmesan cheese
Mozzarella cheese

Put your tomatoes in a colander and pour boiling water over them. This will make it very easy to peal their skin off.
Peal the tomatoes and take out the little round dimple where the stem would be. Dice up the tomatoes very fine and put them in a bowl. Chop up the Basile and add it. Add the minced garlic, olive oil and vinegar, salt and pepper to suit you and set it aside to allow the flavors to combine.

Turn on the boiler. Cut your bread into 1 inch thick slices, place them on a cookie sheet. Brush olive oil sparingly over the top of the slices. Put under the broiler and toast the bread. Take out flip it over and do the same on the other side but this time sprinkle with a tiny bit of garlic salt. ( I don't usually use the garlic salt but on one side.) Traditionally you would rub a clove of garlic on the bread but I'm all for expedience.

Leave the boiler on.

If you're not going to fix the whole loaf of bread for your family and you're only doing lunch you can store the bread you don't use in a zip lock bag. Be sure to sqeeze out the air so it will stay nice.

On each slice of bread. Put the tomato mixture, I use a slotted spoon so the extra juice will stay in the bowl. Sprinkle with Parmesan or mozzarella cheese and pop back under the broiler just long enough for the cheese to melt. Take out and serve.

I recently fixed this for my mother and I for lunch and we each ate 3 slices of bread. I had enough left over to have some for several days and even my husband and daughter came in and fixed some.

It's refreshing and light and most of all cool.

In honor of the holiday I'll be participating in a Indie-pendence day Blog Fest that will run from July 2 through the 4th.

On Monday I'll be posting a review of Dance With Me by Hayden Rayburn.
IF YOU'D LIKE TO GO CHECK OUT OTHER INDIE AUTHORS BEING RECOGNIZED IN THIS BLOG FEST HERE'S THE LINK: INDIE-PENDENCE DAY BLOG BASH

Be sure to check back Monday for the review.

I hope you have a wonder 4th Of July. Eat healthy and be safe!!!
Teresa Reasor

Monday, June 25, 2012

I first met Hayden Braeburn when I was invited to participate in a live chat on another blog Bitch Can Write a Book. I did a live chat with them and enjoyed it so much. Part of the reason it went so well and I had such a good time was the ladies there were fantastically supportive. And Hayden was one of those ladies.

At the time I didn't know she was a writer or that she lives in Kentucky. So, imagine my surprise when someone else on our Kentucky Indie Writers group asked me to send her an invitation to join us. I was thrilled to invite her to our group.

I recently read Hayden's first book DANCE WITH ME. It's the first book of a series titled the Everett's of Tyler series. I'll be doing a review of it next week on My Muse's Musings and I'll be sending an announcement out on Facebook and Twitter, so be sure to return next week to read it. I guess you've guessed since I'm having her on my blog this week, I thought it was great.

Champion ballroom dancer Katerina Nemecek pushed the love of her life
away when he offered to save her studio from foreclosure. She loved him
despite the secrecy surrounding their relationship, but she refused to
take advantage of him or his wealth.

Mason Everett wants nothing
more than to share his life, his family, and his fortune with Kat, but
keeping her a secret was the only way he could keep her safe. He'd
rather hide her away than chance losing her.

When Kat and Mason's
relationship finally goes public, it sets in motion a plan to keep them
apart. Can they survive the firestorm to dance together forever?

41,000 words

Interview:

Tell us what inspired your story?

Honestly, I think I was watching Dancing with
the Stars and thought, 'what if a heroine owned a

studio?' and went from there. The first sentence, “Katerina Nemecek
buckled her heel before

stepping in front of the studio's mirrored wall,” was a
lonely sentence for a week or two before

the rest of the story presented
itself.

What genres are you most drawn to to read and to write?

I love contemporary, paranormal, and
suspense—especially when the hero is military or former

military (or police, or
fire... Fascination with a man in uniform, much, Hayden?

Describe your hero and tell us a little about him.

Mason Everett is a strong, solid family
man. He's in the family business
of banking, has dinner

with them once a week, cleans up after his younger
siblings, and... keeps the love of his life from

them for more than a year.

Describe your heroine and tell us a little about her.

Katerina Nemecek is strong in her own way. Her mother is serving time for
embezzlement, and

she's never met her father, yet she came home to Tyler to
strike out on her own. It takes a
certain

ballsiness to do that, and it's unfortunate things didn't work for her
quite as she'd planned.

What brings the two together and what threatens to keep them apart?

I did something strange with this book—Mason and
Kat were in love with each other the whole

time, and that was never an
issue. Of course, Kat doesn't see
it that way, and feels she's not good

enough for him, but the real problem is
his ex.

If you're writing a series, have you kept the same characters throughout? And what through

line or theme have you used to tie it together?

DANCE WITH ME is the beginning of a series based
around the Everett siblings. It
may branch

out to other families/friends in Tyler, but right now the series is
planned for four books.

Excerpt:
Mason Everett watched Kat as she performed a series of intricate moves.
She was so beautiful, it hurt. He was there to serve her with papers
stating she had one month to pay her back mortgage or she was headed to
foreclosure, but he had to watch her. She was utterly mesmerizing when
she danced, and he hadn't seen her in over a week.

The
economy had come crashing down around them and although ballroom dancing
was more popular than ever with that TV show, people just weren't
taking lessons like they had a few years ago. He knew Kat was working
her ass off, he knew she was doing everything in her power to stay
afloat, but the bank–what was once his family's bank–didn't care. The
day the national chain bought them out was the day Kat's mortgage
troubles began. Now, he was here, having taken this assignment
himself. He wasn't sure if he'd volunteered to torture himself or
because he thought he could comfort her, but he was here nonetheless.
He watched her dance a while longer before making himself known.

“Kat,” he called.

Her lithe movements stopped abruptly. “Mason? What are you doing
he–” she broke off. After the last time she saw him, she knew he wasn't
here for her, he was here on behalf of the bank. “Oh.”

“I
can't hold them off any longer,” he apologized as he walked toward her.
Quietly he added, “I just wish you'd let me pay it.”

She crossed her arms under her full breasts. “Mason,” she began in her most censuring tone, “we've been through this before.”

Their last conversation was one he wouldn't soon forget. He'd offered
to pay her mortgage off at the most inopportune time–while naked in her
bed–and had lost her because of it. He searched her face as he pinned
her with his espresso gaze. “Why can't you just accept my help?”

She turned away from him. “I just can't!”

“Why not?” He threw his hands in the air as he made his way to her.
“It's not payment for services rendered. This is so much different than
that.”

Brows raised, she turned toward him. “Different how?”

He blew out a sigh. “I... I can't bear to see you lose something you love so much.”

She looked at him, the epitome of the town golden boy with his
perfectly styled caramel hair, handmade grey suit, and his Italian
leather shoes. She knew firsthand the mouthwatering body those
impeccable clothes covered was honed by plenty of tennis and sailing and
daily workouts in his home gym. He was, in a word, perfect. She knew
he had more than enough money to fix her problems, and that was the
problem. She didn't want him for that. Worse, she didn't want anyone
to think she wanted him for that. She refused to sully him with her
problems.

Mason watched her stare at him as if she were
memorizing him, committing him to memory. No way. She wasn't going
anywhere. “Kat? Say something,” he asked. Not that he didn't enjoy
looking at her. Today she was in a wrap style dress that accentuated
her hourglass figure, the purple doing great things for her light blue
eyes. Her black hair was pulled away from her face into a messy
ponytail, and her mouth, oh, the things she could do with that mouth.

Yeah, he more than liked looking at her, but right now he needed her to say something. “Kat?” he practically plead.

“It's okay. I know why you're here. I know I'm losing this place. I
know I have to move,” she said, her tone even and quiet.

“No!” he barked. “It's not okay.” He crossed the floor to pull her
into his arms. “Dammit, Kat, it's not okay.” He crushed her to him
then, taking her lips in a hard kiss. “You're not leaving. I won't let
you.”

She tore from his arms, her cornflower blue eyes
flashing like gas flames. “You cannot tell me what to do, Mason
Everett. You gave up that right when you hid me from your family. I
may not be good enough for you, but I don't deserve to be treated like a
dirty little secret.”

He opened his mouth to speak, closing
it just as quickly. That's what she thought? “You thought I was hiding
you? That I was ashamed of you?” He let out a bitter laugh. “I was
trying to protect you.”

She stalked away from him, heels
clicking on the hardwood. “Protect me?” She stopped, turned to face
him fully. “From what?”

He shook his head. “Priscilla.”

“You dated Priscilla in high school,” she said, her face a mask of confusion.

Something he regretted to this day. “She's run off every woman I've
dated since.” He reached out to touch her, but stopped short. “I
couldn't let her get to you, I didn't want to lose you.”

She
made a disgusted sound. “That's rich. You didn't trust me enough to
stand by you when someone else staked a claim on you–”

“You
don't understand,” he cut her off. “She's ruthless.” Kat gave him a
disbelieving look and he elaborated, “She pulled the old Visine trick.
Mel was sick for a couple days.”

Her jaw dropped. “That's what
happened to Melanie Andrews?” She shook her head. “She told me not to
get involved with you when I choreographed her wedding dance.”

“That was almost two years ago.”

She shrugged. “She knew I had a thing for you.”

“I have a thing for you, too,” he echoed with a smirk, taking a step toward her.

“Wait.” She held up a hand to stave off his advance. “Why hasn't anyone done anything about Priscilla?”

“We couldn't prove it.” He lifted a shoulder. “What should I have done? Priscilla is one of my sister's best friends.”

God, she'd missed him. She had tried to be strong, had avoided
anywhere he might have been for almost two weeks for fear of seeing him.
She'd thought he was ashamed of her, but he'd hidden their
relationship to protect her from Priscilla? Priscilla McClaren would
blow away in a stiff wind and seemed as sweet as honey. Well, sweet as
honey until you crossed her. She was famous for her tantrums, spoiled
princess that she was, and Kat could understand Mason's reticence to a
point. She sucked in a long breath, letting it out slowly as he watched
her. Oh how she still wanted him with every fiber of her being, but if
this was going to work, he had to trust her. She closed the gap
between them, laying a hand on his forearm. “I can take it, Mason. If
you want this to work, if you want me to let you help me. If you
want...” she trailed off.

“I want,” he promised.

“Then no hiding.”

“No hiding,” he agreed before pulling her into a kiss.

She felt so good in his arms, her curves flush against him. He could
kiss her for days and not get enough. He'd known Priscilla was scaring
off his girlfriends for years, and hadn't really cared. With Kat
everything was different. He couldn't lose her, couldn't let her be
driven away. So, he'd hidden their relationship. He kissed her again,
sliding his hands into her hair, dislodging her ponytail and savoring
the feel of it through his fingers. When he broke the kiss, he took a
step back to look into her eyes. “Never, never let anyone make you
think I'm ashamed of you.”

She shook her head slightly, the
black silk of her hair brushing the tops of her breasts. “You're the
town golden boy, Mason. The oldest son of one of the richest families
in town.” She looked down. “I'm a woman about to lose her livelihood,
who's deep in debt.”

“So?” he asked, his caramel brows furrowed.

“So?” She pulled from his arms, threw her own out in a helpless
gesture. “Mason, I am... God. I am completely and totally in love
with you.” She turned around then, her voice quiet as she said, “I am
not a gold-digger.”

His arms were around her before she'd
finished her statement. “Of course you're not. I know you're not.” He
spun her around to face him. “I love you, too. I was going to ask you
to marry me after I offered to pay off this place,” he paused at her
shocked expression. “That didn't quite work out how I'd planned it.”

Her mouth opened and closed a few times before she found her voice. “You were?”

“I was.” He grinned at her then. “What would you have said?”

“I would have thought you just wanted to save me.” She sighed.
“You'd just promised to make all my financial troubles go away.”

He shook his head. “I only wanted to help.”

She went up on her toes to kiss him, her eyes sparkling. “Is the offer still open?”

“Until you say yes, the offer is there,” he promised as he tightened his hold on her.

She gave him a mischievous smile before she said, “Good to know.”

He laughed. “Good to know? Good to know? I lay my heart at your feet and you say, 'Good to know'?”

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Okay. Devon Matthews tagged me on the 777 Challenge and I'm posting my 7 lines from my 7th page of Breaking Through. Now I'm off to tag 7 people to do the same.

Derrick
pressed a finger to his lips and rested his ear against the door
listening. He gave the all clear and signaled for him to hurry.

Brett
nodded, thrust his pistol into its holster, and turned back to the task of arming the charge.

He checked
his watch, his finger reached toward the timer. Sensing a movement to his
right, his attention jerked upward. A gunstock hit the side of his head with
the force of a baseball bat, tearing the NVG’s from his face and slamming his
head sideways. Instant blackness crashed over him.

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

I'm an eclectic reader. I'll read any kind of fiction, non-fiction, history, biographies, you name it. But my first love is romance, military romance, historical romance, contemporary romance, paranormal romance, erotic romance and romantic suspense. Actually any kind of romance. The more conflict in a story, the more I love it. And Kallypso Masters can pour on the conflict. And I love it.

Her books are also BDSM erotica. I don't read erotica a lot. But I have a few favorites in the genre, Cheryl Norman, Jennifer Madden, Mia Jae, and recently I've added Kallypso (Kally) Masters to my list.

Hers are my first sojourn into BDSM and they are totally different than I expected. I really love her heroes (OH MY) and her story lines. Her female characters are fighting through things just as ferociously as her heroes and really fit well with the men. And the sex ain't nothing to shrug off either. I'm fanning myself just thinking about it.

And if you didn't get a chance to read the interview I posted yesterday it's still up. Kally told us about the characters in NOBODY'S PERFECT and you may want to read it, too.

I've read her MASTERS AT ARMS, the prequel to the series which gives you a taste of the story lines and her writing and NOBODY'S ANGEL thus far. I have NOBODY'S HERO on my Kindle to read next. And of course I'll have to have her next release to have read the whole series thus far. There are others coming later in the year!!

I'm thrilled that she's agreed to let me be her first stop on her blog kick off for her next release due out in just a few weeks. NOBODY'S PERFECT. She's providing a daily prize of a $10 Gift Card and swag for each blog of her blog tour so you may want to follow along. In order to enter, you have to leave your email address in your comment. So please don't forget.

The
grand prize will be a $200 Gift Card to a bookseller of your choice. (Amazon,
B&N, smashwords or All Romance Ebooks). The lucky winner of that will be chosen July 1st!
To win this you have to fill out a form. Just click on the link and it will take you there. GRAND PRIZE CONTEST.

With all these opportunities to get something for just reading this blog, it's a win win. You get to read a WONDERFUL excerpt, get your name into a hat for the $10 Gift Card and enter a contest for a $200 dollar Gift Card. EXCELLENT!

All that said here's:

NOBODY'S PERFECT

Savannah
Gentry, now Savi Baker, escaped the torture and degradation forced upon
her by a sadistic father for eleven years and has made a safe life for
herself and her daughter. When her father threatens her peace of
mind—and her daughter's safety—Savi runs to Damián Orlando for
protection. Their one day together eight years earlier changed both
their lives and resulted in a secret she can no longer hide. But being
with Damián reawakens feelings she wants buried—and stirs up an
onslaught of disturbing flashbacks that leave her shaken to the core
with little hope of ever being a sexual being again.
Damián has his own dragons to fight, but has never forgotten the one
perfect day he spent with Savannah in a cave at the beach. He will go to
the ends of the earth to protect Savi and her daughter, but can never
be the whole man she deserves after a firefight in Iraq. Besides, the
trauma of war and resulting PTSD has led him to find his place as the
Masters at Arms Club's favorite sadist. Savi needs someone gentle and
loving, not the broken man he has become. But he sees that the lifestyle
he's come to embrace also can help Savi regain control of her life and
sexuality. How can he not help redirect her negative thoughts and
actions if she needs him?

Here's a peek at the UNEDITED prologue to Nobody's Perfect:

Prologue

Savi circled another job listing in the classifieds as
Christmas music played in the background. Office
clerk. After all her years of college and clinicals, she had finally
achieved her dream of working as a social worker with young abuse victims. That
work had ended abruptly three weeks ago. She needed to find a way to support
her daughter and herself until her supervisor could fight Savi's recent firing
with the higher-ups in the state's department of mental health services.
Unraveling bureaucracy took time. She didn't have time.

Savi opened her mini laptop to update her resumé and do a
cover letter, hoping to make it through several more letters before Mari got
home from practicing for the children's pageant at church.

The doorbell interrupted her work some unknown amount of
time later. She looked at the clock on her desk. Too early for Mari to be
dropped off—unless something had happened. Heart hammering against her chest, Savi
nearly ran to the front door and opened it, expecting to see one of the youth
leaders from the church group.

Lyle.

Bile rose in her throat and she moved to slam the door
again. Stupid! Why hadn't she looked
through the peephole first? He wedged his foot into the doorway, keeping
her from closing the door in his face.

"What kind of greeting is that for an old friend,
Savannah?"

Not
a friend. Enemy. She gasped to fill her lungs with
much-needed air. Dangerous. She
needed to get rid of him before Mari came home.

"What do you want, Lyle?"

"Invite me inside and we'll talk."

"You're not coming in. Now leave before I call the
police."

He narrowed his eyes and Savi familiar ligatures of fear
encircled her neck. Vile man. Could she fight him off?

Marisol.
Did he know where she was? Oh, God,
she prayed. Don't let Mari come home early.
She needed to get rid of Lyle. Now.

"Just state your business. I'm not letting you inside
my…"

Without warning, Lyle leaned back then slammed his body
against the door sending the edge of the wood into Savi's eye and cheek,
hurtling her backward until she lay sprawled on the floor. The sight of his
navy-blue dress pants and wingtip shoes made her shudder as a distant memory
enveloped her. Looking up at the angry man in the three-piece suit who towered
over her, she realized he hadn't even mussed a hair on his blond head.

"Ah, just where a slut like you needs to be,
Savannah—at my feet. Now let's see if we can hear you scream the way you used
to for me."

No!
Memories of the night he had placed her father's shameful mark on her could
never be erased. Neither could any of the degrading things Lyle had subjected
her to at her father's orders. She turned over and got on all fours and
scrambled away. Just when she'd thought she was far enough away to stand up and
set her feet to defend herself, Lyle's wingtip gouged into her side. The air
whooshed from her lungs and she gasped to try and recover her breath.

"Your father asked me to bring you and his
granddaughter to him. But I thought perhaps we would enjoy a little playtime first.
For old time's sake. What your father doesn't know…"

Another blow struck her side near the same place and panic
set in as her breathing became labored.

Breathe!

Maman,
help me. Give me the strength to fight him off.

Savi pulled herself up using the hallway table and tried to
regulate her breathing again. She turned to find Lyle smirking at her. Bastard. Picking up a brass candlestick
from the table, she didn't hesitate as she swung it at his head, striking a
blow she hoped had left him more than just stunned. Not waiting for him to
recover, she followed up by kicking him in the groin. He doubled over and fell
to the floor. As he lay moaning, holding his privates as his head bled on her
hardwood floor, she remembered the lessons in cutting off the blood flow to the
brain that she'd learned from a veteran Marine who had studied with her in
college. She cringed as she touched his neck, hating to place her hands
anywhere on him, but finally found the point she sought in his neck and
pressed—hard. She counted. By thirty seconds, Lyle's body grew even more limp.
She didn't wait around to see how long he'd be out.

Running to the bedroom, she pulled out a suitcase to throw a
few clothes into it, but when she tried to lift it, her breathing became
constricted again, forcing her to leave it on the floor near the closet. After
she filled half of it, she wheeled it to Mari's room and threw in some of her
daughter's things, then zipped it up and wheeled it to the kitchen. After
grabbing her purse and keys, she stumbled out the back door.

A black BMW sat parked behind her little blue Nissan. She
glanced back at her bungalow. Home, but no longer her safe place.

No sign of Lyle yet, but he wouldn't be unconscious forever.
She fought to control her breathing again, but refused to escape into her head
to dull the pain. Taking as deep a breath as she could and holding it, she
swung the suitcase into the trunk and slammed the lid down. Oh dear Lord. She
couldn't breathe! She pressed her arm against her chest and the place where
Lyle had kicked her repeatedly as she opened the door, got behind the steering
wheel, and turned the key in the ignition. She couldn't zone out now. She
needed to get to San Miguel's…to Mari.

Then
what?

I wanted to end the blog with Kally's other books. Though you don't have to read them in order, I'd suggest that you do because her story lines hook together and may take more than one book to conclude. I didn't mind that at all. Just more great conflict and story to read. Check them out.

Kallypso
Masters writes emotional romance novels with dominant men and the women who
bring them to their knees. Sometimes it seems she lives with these Masters at
Arms Doms twenty-four/seven--yes, they tend to dominate her life. Often, she'll
wake up with one or more characters waiting by her bedside to share some
delicious secret about themselves. It's a tough job, but she loves every minute
of it.

Kally
has been writing full-time since May 2011, having quit her "day job"
the month before to pursue a full-time writing career. Masters at Arms was her
debut novel (published in August 2011) and was followed by Nobody's Angel in
September and Nobody's Hero in December. She plans three more books in the
Rescue Me series in 2012: Nobody's Perfect (expected release date mid to late
June); Nobody's Dream (late September); and Nobody's Home (November/December).

She
lives in rural Kentucky and has been married for almost 29 years to the man who
provided her own Happily Ever After. They have two adult children, one rescued
dog, and one rescued cat--and now four Doms (Adam, Marc, Damián, and Luke) and
a Domme (Grant) have taken up residence in her head and still others are in the
wings for the first eight books in the series (through 2013).

For
more information about Kally please feel free to browse this site or her Web
site at kallypsomasters.com. If you have any questions that haven't been
answered here, feel free to contact Kally directly at
kallypsomasters@gmail.com. She loves to hear from readers and will answer as
soon as she's able.

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

In preparation for the start of her blog tour tomorrow I thought I'd post Kally's interview today so you could get to know her, and a little about her characters before the big kick off. Be sure to come back tomorrow and join us for the big kick off. There'll be a drawing for a $10 gift card and you can put your name in for the July 1st drawing for a $200 gift card.

Tell us what inspired your story.

As an incest and child sexual abuse survivor myself, I have
found that Romance novels helped me recover and to be able to go on to a happy
marriage of 29 years with my own hero. But sometimes the books just glossed
over the traumatic effects such abuse can have on a couple's sexual
relationship and the ability to trust someone again in such an intimate way.
Flashbacks, triggers, it's like a minefield for the partner, as well. I wanted
to tell the story in more realistic terms. As I write this, very close to
completion of the book, I can't tell you if Savi and Damián will even have sex
in this book. But I do know that they will form a bond that will move them
toward that in the future. As my loyal readers have learned from back in Masters at Arms and even Nobody's Angel, I don't get to happily
ever for a couple in a single book. My RESCUE ME series is more of a serial.

While I didn't choose this path for my own healing (or even
know about it), I've met a number of women online who were abused and have used
BDSM to help them regain control of their sexuality. So, this story tells how a
woman who has gone as far as she wants to with traditional therapy finds
herself exploring sadomasochism in particular as a way to achieve that.

What were the challenges (research, literary,
psychological, and logistical) in bringing it to life?

It has definitely been an emotional roller-coaster for me to
write, which is partly why this one has taken me much longer to write than the
first three books in the series. I enlist the help of many experts to help me
get it right and the clinical psychologist who read it told me my flashback
scenes are some of the most emotionally honest ones she's ever read in fiction.
(As they say in fiction, none of it happened, but all of it's true.)

Describe your hero and tell us a little about him.

Damián Orlando is the youngest of the Doms who own the
Masters at Arms Club, but by far the most evolved emotionally. My Chicano hero
has been through a lot—the loss of both parents at a young age, time spent in
juvenile detention for beating the crap out of his brother-in-law (who had
abused his sister), losing his job and his Harley as a result of rescuing Savi
from an SM scene gone bad, having his foot amputated as a result of a combat
wound in Iraq, and fighting his way back from PTSD (with the help of his combat
brothers, Adam Montague and Marc D'Alessio, the other owners of the club). And
all that's just what we learned about him in Masters at Arms! He's brave, selfless, and everything you could
want in a hero.

Describe your heroine and tell us a little about her.

Savi Baker (Savannah Gentry in Masters) is a fierce mama bear who will do whatever it takes to
keep her daughter safe from her father and his partner, even run to her
daughter's father, who doesn't even know he is a father. She's a therapist who
helps child sexual abuse victims cope with and move on from their traumas. She
is reunited with Damián in Nobody's Hero
when Damián's niece is raped and he takes her to the clinic where Savi works.
While she's been through years of therapy, she's avoided dealing with sexual
healing because she has no intention of having a sexual relationship with
anyone. But when Damián discovers her hurting herself to try to cope with the
pain that has built up inside, he proposes SM as a means for her to get the
endorphin release she needs, but in a much safer way.

What brings the two together and what threatens to keep
them apart?

While the threat of her father finding where Savi and her
daughter are hiding is constant throughout the book, the biggest hurdle for
them to overcome is their own hangups about needing to be perfect. While both
are wounded, neither is broken. If they can lower their walls long enough, they
might be able to see that together they can have a future. They might not get
the storybook ending their daughter loves to read about, but it will be perfect
for them at this point in time.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to
grasp?

There is someone out there who is for them, even if they
haven't found them yet. Never stop looking or give up hope. And don't put
yourself on a shelf and think your life is over—ever!

If writing a series, which characters will you continue
with in other books?

I'm not one to contain a hero and heroine to a single novel.
Adam and Karla's journey took three books—and they'll come back later this year
in Nobody's Home struggling with some
unresolved issues keeping them from total happiness. Marc and Angelina first
met in Nobody's Angel, but they only
knew each other about a week. While they ended Happy For Now, some kinks in the
armor were revealed in Nobody's Hero,
and they have a major story line in Nobody's
Perfect where they are faced with a major crisis of trust. Damian and Savi
also have taken three books to get them to the point of a commitment, but they
will continue to work on their relationship in future books, as well. The next
book, Nobody's Dream (due out in
September or October) will be about Luke and Cassie, but will include updates
on all of the other characters readers have come to love. I posed the question
on my Facebook wall and my blog recently about whether it was a distraction for
readers to go off into another couple's relationship other than the main hero
and heroine's, and they let it be known that's one of the things they love best
about my books. Over and over, they tell me my characters have become their
family, too. And family members don't just make cameo appearances in each
other's life stories. They're a vital part of it.

One thing I try to convey in this day of disposable
marriages is that Happily Ever After (HEA) is just the beginning—it takes
maintenance to remain HEA. So, my characters will continue to have their ups
and downs—but, while sometimes tested in profound ways, their commitment to
each other can never be broken.

With more than 52,000 copies sold of my first three books since
last August and an additional 25,000+ downloads of the introduction, Masters at Arms, on Amazon since it went
free there on June 4, I must be giving readers what they want! (The
introduction to my series will remain free at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords,
and All Romance eBooks.)

A word of caution: Please fight the urge to skip ahead in
the series to Adam's or Damian's stories because you'll miss important turning
points for them if you skip any books. I recently learned that one reader was
so anxious to continue Adam's story, she skipped from Section One of Masters to the third book in the
series—totally missing where Karla and Adam were reunited at the end of Masters and several pivotal, emotional,
and sexy scenes in their relationship in Nobody's
Angel. So, be good and read them in order! At $3.99 for each romance and a
free introduction, the price certainly is right!

As for Damian and Savi's story, final edits are taking place
now for Nobody's Perfect and the
publication date will be later this month at the same four places you'll find
the first three books in the RESCUE ME "serial."

Blurb:

Savannah Gentry, now Savi Baker, escaped the torture and
degradation forced upon her by a sadistic father for eleven years and has made
a safe life for herself and her daughter. When her father threatens her peace
of mind—and her daughter's safety—Savi runs to Damián Orlando for protection.
Their one day together eight years earlier changed both their lives and
resulted in a secret she can no longer hide. But being with Damián reawakens
feelings she wants buried—and stirs up an onslaught of disturbing flashbacks
that leave her shaken to the core with little hope of ever being a sexual being
again.

Damián has his own dragons to fight, but has never forgotten
the one perfect day he spent with Savannah in a cave at the beach. He will go
to the ends of the earth to protect Savi and her daughter, but can never be the
whole man she deserves after a firefight in Iraq. Besides, the trauma of war and
resulting PTSD has led him to find his place as the Masters at Arms Club's
favorite sadist. Savi needs someone gentle and loving, not the broken man he
has become. But he sees that the lifestyle he's come to embrace also can help
Savi regain control of her life and sexuality. How can he not help redirect her
negative thoughts and actions if she needs him?

Monday, June 18, 2012

I just thought I'd send out a post and let you know that I'll be Kally Master's first Blog stop on her Blog Tour for her new release NOBODY'S PERFECT THIS WEDNESDAY!! FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE BLOG TOUR YOU CAN CHECK OUT KALLY'S BLOG POST.

BE SURE TO STOP BY AND LEAVE A COMMENT. YOU'LL BE ELIGIBLE FOR A $10 GIFT CARD IF YOU LEAVE A COMMENT AND YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS.

AND IF YOU FILL OUT A FORM ON MY BLOG YOU'LL BE ELIGIBLE FOR A $200 GRAND PRIZE AT THE END OF THE BLOG TOUR THAT WILL BE DRAWN ON JULY 1st.

Monday, June 11, 2012

I've invited Donna McDonald to join me on my blog this week. Donna writes fun romances about older characters. What I've loved about each of Donna's books is that they've shown how characters who are my age still have a libido, still enjoy having sex, and are still out there looking for love. And they're still working through things trying to do it right.

And though this blog will be dedicated to her newest release. I wanted the readers to be aware that she has several series out there.

I know you're going to enjoy her interview and the excerpt of her new release Next Song I Sing!!

Tell us what inspired
your story?

I went through a period where I lost 10 lbs on doctor’s
advice. While I’m not technically overweight, I am curvy and filled out for
someone my height. I was feeling pretty good about that weight loss which actually
took a couple years. Then I started noticing that people I knew treated me
strangely about my changing weight. Some were envious. Some scoffed at my
reasons. Their reactions plus mine got me fixated on weight and social opinions
about it, specifically women’s opinions about their own weight. I loved
Jennifer Cruise’s “Bet Me” which features a full figured heroine, so I was
inspired to try my own in this series. I settled on the Chloe being a size 14
which is merely Marilyn Monroe-esque, but still far from the size 6 or 8 that
most women have in their heads as the “normal” size.

Describe your hero
and tell us a little about him.

Jasper Wade is 45. He is a mega successful hotel owner, but
not so successful in his love life. He comes from a wealthy background, so his
manners make him appear a bit stuffy, but really he’s not. He is somewhat idolized by his much
younger brother and his best friend who is runs the bar/lounge part of his
business. Jasper is mostly a good guy and I really liked how he was with Chloe.

Describe your heroine
and tell us a little about her.

Chloe Zanders is 40, freshly divorced, and keen to start her
life over. Though after I finished the book, it was more like Chloe just moved
back to the physical place where she had once been her best, true self. Her
friends—both great women—have to keep reminding Chloe that under her still
painful previous relationship wounds is the woman they used to know who had
more than just a healthy self-esteem. This book is a journey of Chloe finding
her true self again. Finding Jasper is a bonus.

How did you come up
with the title?

I created these books for some of my readers who kept asking
me for a series featuring divorced heroines who were turning that milestone age
of 40 that most women dread. Since I divorced at 41 myself, I definitely had
the background for it, little research required.

I called the series NEXT TIME AROUND, even though it is similar
to the title of my first series, mostly because other terms like “divorced and
dating” were too frequently used in contemporary romances. When the first story
opens, you discover Chloe has been working as an accountant, but that work is
not her true calling anymore than her ex was her true love. Chloe’s book—NEXT SONG I SING—is about the many changes she makes in her “do-over” life. Taylor’s
story will be NEXT GAME I PLAY (coming Fall 2012). Emma’s story will be NEXT
MOVE I MAKE (coming late, late Fall 2012 or early 2013).

Is there a message in
your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Not a message exactly, but I did try to create a character in
Chloe that would resonate with every woman who has ever looked in the mirror
and seen a very different person than the one her friends or lover report
seeing. I’d like readers to laugh along with Chloe as she starts getting in
touch (or back in touch to hear her friends tell it) with her true, voluptuous,
wonderful self.

If you’re writing a
series, have you kept the same characters throughout?

A series lets a writer play with all kinds of relationships,
not just the primary romance between the hero and heroine. Sub-plots can be run
in one book and settled in another quite satisfactorily. I won’t say all
characters will show up in all books of any series I write, but I do at least try
to have them do cameos in later books so both the readers and I know how they
are doing. It gives us all a peek into what happens after the “happily ever
after”. I do this rather innately as a writer because I like it as a reader
myself.

Can you share a little
of your current work with us?

Here’s an excerpt from Chapter 3 which contains the first
time Jasper and Chloe “officially” interact with each other. Chapter 1 is
available on my blog.

Jasper’s gaze kept being drawn to the three women sitting on
the patio drinking mai tais. From his table by the café window, he had a prime
view of them, especially the one with her top unbuttoned for comfort who looked
ready to bust out of the short dress any moment. She was a lot of woman for a
city that regularly produced dozens of thin, tanned, and toned clones like her
tablemates.

He shifted in his seat, surprised at his reaction to a
stranger—and a hotel guest.

“I bet I know which one you’re looking at,” Max said with a
grin, forking up a bite of his meat loaf.

“I’m not looking at anyone. I was checking out the pool,”
Jasper denied, his gaze going immediately back to the woman’s breasts as she
laughed, her voice full and rich, the movements of her body mesmerizing to him.

“There’s not a single woman in the pool with breasts like the
laughing brunette’s. I’m your brother. Why are you lying to me?” Max asked. “I
like the taller of the two blondes, the one with the short hair. She was in
here a couple of weeks ago in a sharp business suit. I’m intending to sleep
with her. Go for the brunette. She’s just your type.”

“Max, you can’t sleep with hotel guests,” Jasper said sternly.
“We talked about this before you decided to recuperate here. It’s not ethical.
Neither Sam nor I have ever violated that rule.”

“Jasper, I haven’t slept with a woman in four months. I bet
what’s going on in your pants isn’t ethical either. You’re forty-five, not
eighty-five, so stop waiting and go after those breasts. You don’t have to
settle for being your ex-wife’s booty call,” Max said fiercely, staring at his
brother over his food.

“I’m thirty-one, not thirteen,” Max joked. “And I aged a lot
those two months in the hospital before I came here. I realize now that life
and luck can change in an instant. The one with breasts looks fun, sexy, and
like she’d be nice to touch. Go for it.”

“She looks like she’s enjoying the company of her friends,
relaxing for the first time in ages, and smart enough to sue the hotel if I
offend her,” Jasper commented, having to shift in his chair when she leaned
over the table. He was having a strong reaction to her, but it wasn’t worth
risking the hotel’s reputation to follow the urge.

“Those three are going to end up in the piano lounge tonight with
me. If you don’t come join us, I’m going to seduce all three of them, even the
one with big breasts,” Max bragged, settling back in his seat and looking at
his older brother with a definite challenge in his gaze. “I will not spare your
feelings just because you’re too old to go after what you want. It’s not my
fault I’m a menopause baby and have the advantage of youth on my side.”

“Menopause baby? Where do you get that crap? Those women are
all probably a decade older than you and way too smart for your lame pick-up
lines. Plus, they haven’t been looking at anyone but each other all through
lunch. They are not here on the prowl for men, much less younger men,” Jasper
predicted, looking at Max’s grin in disgust. “Fine. I’ll take that bet. You
won’t get even a friendly kiss out of any of them.”

“Bring cash. Twenty each since you’re so sure,” Max warned,
standing and getting the attention he was used to from the rest of the dining
room occupants.

***

Chloe had laughed so much in the last hour that her face hurt.
And several mai tais had put a humorous haze over pretty much everything.

“Emma, those quizzes are all going to say that I can’t get a
guy because I have some sense of decorum about not groping his crotch in
public. Do women in their twenties actually follow that advice?” Chloe
demanded.

Emma scrunched up her face. “Well, two of them found mine and
Chloe’s husbands, so I think the answer is yes in some cases. Of course, this
is assuming they actually love our ex-husbands and vice versa.”

Chloe snorted. “Well, I say good luck to them for trying. My
ex’s new woman better stay skinny for the rest of her life.”

They laughed again and took another sip of their drinks.

“Okay-okay,” Emma said more soberly, “one more question and
I’ll quit.” She paused until she
knew Chloe and Taylor were paying close attention.

“You and your best friend are having lunch. She tells you
there’s a hot guy checking out your breasts,” Emma said seriously. “What do you
say in reply? Taylor—you go first.”

Taylor laughed, the drinks having worked their magic on her by
loosening her tongue. “Well, I would dip into the sarcasm I hold back just for
these special situations. I would say ‘Sure, him and every other guy’ in my
best, most confident voice. Then I’d do this.”

Lifting her small breasts in her hands like an offering to the
gods, Taylor pursed her lips in a smooch, and leaned over the table to her
friends. They laughed so hard and so loudly that all the people in the pool
starting leaving.

“Just like the old days,” Taylor said. “We’re clearing the
area.”

“Okay Chloe—what would you say?” Emma said, swinging an innocent
gaze in her direction.

“If the man is checking out my breasts, it’s because he’s not
used to seeing so much un-tanned flesh in the state of California,” Chloe
declared, laughing and holding the edges of her lapels open as wide as she
could to peer into her dress. “Look—the girls and I haven’t seen sunlight in
five years. It will take me months to tan all this.”

They all looked at Chloe’s large and very white breasts,
giggling without denying her statement. It was the truth after all.

“Maybe you can start with one of those self-tanners or a
bronzer. You have to work your way up to a real tan again,” Emma said on a
laugh.

“Emma—that question didn’t sound like the other quiz
questions,” Taylor commented, looking at her not-so-innocent friend who was
giggling softly and looking guilty.

“Okay—fine. It wasn’t a real question on the quiz. There’s a
good-looking guy in the dining room who has been admiring Chloe’s cleavage
since we sat down to have lunch,” Emma said, laughing. “I think she should
practice her subtlety theory on him.”

“Well I’m certainly in the mood to practice after three mai
tais. Show him to me,” Chloe demanded on a tipsy laugh.

Emma’s eyes grew larger as she giggled and whispered. “Okay I
will, but just don’t turn around. He’s headed to our table. Just smile at
Taylor and pretend to be fascinating.”

Chloe’s eyes widened as she heard the deep voice at her side.

“Good day, ladies. I’m Jasper Wade, hotel manager. I hope
you’re enjoying your stay. If you need anything while you’re here, please let me
know,” he said gallantly, his gaze taking in all of them before coming back to
Chloe.

Chloe, full of mai tai and happy laughter, turned her head and
smiled into his very nice face, sighing with ego happiness as she watched
Jasper Wade’s gaze straining to stay away from her cleavage. The day was
certainly turning out to be a very nice way to celebrate her return to
California.

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About Me

Hi:
I'm Teresa Reasor. I'm a retired art teacher, college instructor and now a FULL TIME writer!! I've been published since 2007. My Muse's Musings is dedicated all my writing related endeavors. Books, book signings, some of the research I've been doing for my books and my adventures. I hope you enjoy my blog